Three travellers may have been in COVID-19 hotspot before crossing into NT, police say
SEVEN people are in isolation after a tip-off to police revealed three men in their group may have been in a COVID-19 hotspot in the fortnight before they crossed into the Territory
Alice Springs
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SEVEN people are in isolation after a tip-off to police revealed three men in their group may have been in a COVID-19 hotspot in the fortnight before they crossed into the Territory.
Police say that three men aged 26, 27 and 29 and a 28-year-old woman travelled into the NT on Monday in a private car through a border control point on the Queensland and Territory border.
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Police are investigating the travel movements of the group before entering the NT after they received information from a member of the public indicating the three men may have travelled from a declared COVID-19 hotspot within the previous fortnight.
The four people were found in Alice Springs, where they have been isolated pending further inquiries.
Environmental Health Officers immediately identified two women, aged 19 and 24, and a 27-year-old man who had been in recent contact with the group in Alice Springs and, as a result, are also in isolation.
COVID-19 testing and contact tracing in relation to all seven people is under way.
An NT Police spokeswoman said police and the Health Department would continue to maintain current systems, plans and processes to ensure the community remained safe.
The infringement penalty for failing to abide by the Chief Health Officer’s directions issued under section 56 of the Public and Environmental Health Act 2011 is $5056 for an individual and $25,280 for a business.
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To date 31,473 compliance checks have been completed and 146 fines issued.
Anyone with information relating to COVID-19 noncompliance concerns can call police on 131 444 or the COVID-19 hotline on 1800 020 080.
For information on the changes to quarantine requirements, visit www.coronavirus.nt.gov.au